One Too Many
by Full Moon Ballad
Summary: An innocent get together thwarted yet again by the temptation of booze. What happens when Katara gets trashed and Zuko's there to help? Zutara One shot, AU


**A/N: Ok, my mom is completely TRASHED right now, so if you're wondering what the inspiration for this little bit is, now you know. If I have grammar and spelling mistakes, please point them out and forgive me, because I have been given the duty of watching over my mother until she has to get up at 2:00. In the morning. So, I will be sleep deprived, but I need to write this in order to stay up. So, without further ado, I present to you **_**One Too Many**_**. By the way, this is AU.**

O.0.O

"Oh my God, make her shut up!"

"I thought drunk people were supposed to pass out! This is just ridiculous!"

"Just don't respond to her, she'll fall asleep sooner or later."

As parties and celebrations are likely to end, a few guests got a little…intoxicated. And that was being nice about it. Katara, Zuko, Aang, Toph, Suki, and Sokka had thrown a little get together at Aang's for old time's sake. They hadn't all been in one place since high school, and that was five years ago. And really, what adult in their right mind would have a party without alcohol?

"Have I ever told you guys about the time Gran Gran and I went to the zoo? OMG, the penguins were so cute and the giraffe had such a huge neck did you know they had such big necks I'm talking huge have you ever noticed that? No well we did and we were like OMG their necks are so big and hey-"

"I can't take it any more! Katara, for the love of humanity, please just shut up and go to sleep," Zuko exclaimed at the top of his lungs. Which wasn't a wise maneuver, considering how hammered Katara was and how sensitive she was to loud noises. She moaned and writhed on her small corner of the couch, clutching her ears with shaking hands.

"Ugh, be quiet Zu, or I'll sic the ostrich horse on you…"

The faces of Katara's concerned friends hovered around her, creating a warped type of halo in her inebriated mind. "You guys look so pretty, come here and give me a hug!"

Fearing another crying fit similar to the one half an hour ago, they all came up to her and gently enfolded her in their arms. Katara's eyes leaked shiny tears and she sniffled a bit. "I love you guys so, so much, you know that right? You guys know how much I love you? Sokka, I know you can be an arrogant jackass sometimes, but I still love you, big brother."

Sokka got a tender, amused look in his eyes. See, he _was_ an awesome big brother! He blanched as he remembered what else she had said.

"Hey, how am I an arrogant jackass?!"

Ignoring him completely, Katara then turned to Toph. She got a big, dopey smile on her dazed face and hugged the small woman even tighter. "Tophy, you're like the best little sister I never had. I know we sometimes fight and stuff, but I luff you soooo mush."

Toph, finally escaping Katara's iron grasp, leaned over to her sober friends and whispered conspiratorially, "I think she's finally falling going under. Let's just leave so she can sleep this off."

The others nodded and quietly tip toed to the doorway of the living room. Katara suddenly jack knifed from her horizontal position on the couch and shouted, "Wait! Zuzu, could you stay with me for awhile. Pleeeeaase, Zuko, please?"

With a wary and questioning look to his friends, he slowly crept over to the couch and gently lowered himself to the spot at her feet. Seeing as Zuko was the only one Katara had requested, the others left the room, hoping to get a few hours of sleep. Even at the expense of Zuko's sanity.

Zuko gazed down at Katara, a firm look in his eyes. He hadn't approved of her drinking, even if she was old enough. Sure, he had had a few drinks himself, but he knew his limit. _Katara_ on the other hand knew that she had _no_ limit whatsoever. Zuko should have stopped her after her first couple shots. It technically wasn't his problem, but over the years, Katara had become his closest friend, even when they didn't speak much during college, and he couldn't help feeling guilty about his her current…situation.

"Zuko, could ju rub my feet fer me? Pweease?" Katara begged, a cute pout on her face. Zuko sighed exasperatedly and reached for her feet. He rubbed circles over her soles as Katara's eyes began to close, a content sigh escaping her lips.

"Hmmm, I love you Zuko," she said in a dreamy fog. He froze and blinked a few times. Had he heard right?

"Um…what did you say, Kat?" He asked tentatively.

"Huh? Oh! I shed, I luff yer handz. They feel good. They're all warm n' shtuff…" she trailed off. Zuko exhaled, a little disappointed. So he had heard wrong. He continued the foot rub until Katara drifted into a light sleep. He kept the circling motions, making sure she was really asleep. The last thing he needed was a drunk, angry Katara kicking up a rage and waking everyone up. After making sure she was dead to the world, Zuko carefully released her feet and lifted himself from the couch. He was half way across the room when Katara started mumbling and thrashing in her sleep. With another sigh, her approached her again and gently shook her awake. Drunken nightmares were always the worst. Katara jerked awake, hitting Zuko on the jaw with her clenched fist in a vain attempt to thwart the attackers in her dream.

Grasping her flailing hands, Zuko pulled Katara to his chest. "Katara, it's okay, you're alright, I've got you, you're fine," he murmured continuously until she calmed down enough for him to release her.

"'M so sorry, Zu, I din't mean to hurchou, you know I luff you right?" Katara sniffled, her baby blue eyes connecting with Zuko's bright golden orbs, pleading for forgiveness. Zuko smiled sadly, with a bitter chuckle leaving his throat. That was what he wanted to hear, wasn't it? That she loved him? He laughed again, a little louder, enough to startle the intoxicated woman in his arms.

"Zuko, er you okay?"

He looked at her unfocused eyes. If he told her, would she remember? Could he risk letting Katara know how he felt about her? Yes, she had broken up with Aang a few years ago, but she had never shown any signs of attraction to Zuko. Well, besides now, but her drunken state obviously had affected her common sense a tad bit. Maybe she thought he was Aang? No, she was still saying _his_ name, wasn't she? Perhaps she had been harboring feelings for him? A possibility, but Fate hated him too much to give him the chance.

Zuko found himself being lost in the cool azure of Katara's eyes. What would it be like to swim in those bright blue depths? To be lost to the world and drown in Katara's love and affection? Surely if he kissed her now, she'd never know. No one would know. Temptation was something he couldn't refuse; not now, not ever. He lowered his mouth to Katara's slightly parted lips, a simple brush. Katara gasped, opening her mouth even wider. A sudden surge of hunger lit up in Zuko, one only she could satisfy. He flicked his tongue at her lips as Katara's arms snaked around his neck. She groaned as he deepened the passionate kiss. Heat bloomed around their mouths and spread through their bodies like wildfire. Zuko gently pushed Katara down to the couch, his hands grasping her hips as he straddled her. Katara pulled at his hair slightly when he pulled away from her. He showered her neck and collar bone with open mouthed kisses, lightly sucking and nipping at her sensitive skin. The heat from his mouth drove her crazy, making her moan in ecstasy.

A far away voice in the back of Zuko's brain screamed at him to stop. This wasn't right! She was drunk for God's sake! There was no honor in taking advantage of someone under the influence. That little statement smacked Zuko like a splash of cold water. He pulled away from Katara and practically jumped from the couch. Katara looked up at him with hurt and confusion in her eyes.

"What's wrong, Zu? Don't you want me?"

Zuko mentally groaned. How could he resist those eyes? He looked away, and tried to explain himself. "It's not that I don't want you, Katara. God knows I've wanted you for years. But this isn't right. You're drunk. You don't know what you want."

Katara glared at him, fury replacing hurt. "How can you stand there and tell me what I don't want? Maybe I do want you! Maybe I have for eight years. Eight years, dammit! Do you know how hard it was for me when you started dating Mai? Do you have any idea how horrible I felt when we went to separate schools? Not only could I not have you, I couldn't even _see_ you! And then you never wrote me back! I thought you had completely forgotten about me. Zuko, I love you! I have for eight long, miserable years, and I thought I'd finally have a chance to be with you tonight, and you're throwing me away again!" She couldn't keep the tears back anymore, all the pent up pain and anger and frustration seeping from her eyes in a giant wave of emotion.

Zuko stood there with a blank stare on his face. She loved him? She loved _him_? But she had never said anything! She'd never given him any clues or anything! Frustration coursed through his veins. He forced himself to take a deep breath and speak calmly.

"Katara, look at me." She did, albeit reluctantly. "I am not throwing you away. I'm sorry for not speaking to you much in college, but I had to keep my mind on classes. I didn't mean to make you feel that way, and I'm sorry. Please know that." Zuko sighed for what seemed like the twentieth time in less than an hour. "I'll talk to you more about this in the morning when you're sober, okay? We'll work this out, I promise. But right now, you need to sleep off the alcohol. Does that sound fair?"

Losing most of her strength from yelling, Katara nodded weakly, already sinking into the soft couch cushions. "Hang on, I don't want you to have a bad back too."

Zuko carefully picked her up bridal style, carrying her into one of the guest rooms in the large house. He stumbled a few times up the stairs, but managed to get her safely in bed. By that time, Katara had already dozed off again. Zuko smiled and tenderly kissed her forehead as he covered her with the comforter. He took a spot in one of the room's many desk chairs and leaned back slightly, ready for some rest of his own.

Just as he was nodding off, the door burst open, a menacing figure standing in the doorway.

"What the hell was all the damn noise about?" Sokka questioned irritably. Zuko's eyes widened. _Oh, shit._ He was in for a long night of explaining.

O.0.O

**Like it? Love it? Hate it? Let me know please! And if you did like it, do you want me to write a second chapter? Review and let me know. And I have NO EXPERIENCE WHATSOEVER in the romance department, so if I explained something wrong, or anything like that, please let me know and I'll fix it! **

**Thank you for your time. I hope you enjoyed reading this.**

**~FMB**


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